Behind Closed Doors
by trixafaerie
Summary: You never know what you may find! A story told by Ron, Hermione, others...It's their seventh year and there is a lot that they do not know about each other as secrets get revealed when sex, games, ale, and crazy witches & wizards are all mixed up!
1. In Which Ron Makes A Discovery

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In Which Ron Makes a Discovery and Drinks a Lot

I will find something on her. After all, nobody's that perfect! She thinks she's too good for me, I can see it in her eyes."Keeping our friendship the same" has nothing to do with it; she would not go to the ball with me because she believes she is superior.

She is, another part of me protested. The part that is still and will be forever more in love with Hermione Granger after all these years of absolute nothing. I thought I was over that, I thought glumly. After all, she denied me when I asked her out.

"Ronald Weasley! Your room is a mess! Get in here this instant and clean it up!" My mother shouted, interrupting my melancholy thoughts. I jumped off the tree swing and wandered inside the kitchen.

"No fear, Mother, it will be clean before you can say Bernie Botts Every Flavor Beans!" I shouted as I ran up the stairs. 

I guess I should clean it up a bit, I thought as I surveyed the condition of my room and stepped on something resembling food. Now that it was just Ginny and I at home, I got Fred and George's old room so I can have guests like Harry stay for a while and Ginny also has her own room. The twins have opened a joke shop in Hogsmeade, a surprisingly successful one at that. 

Harry had actually just left to go somewhere tropical with Draco, to Sirius and Remus' vacation house in the Caribbean, I think. He had stayed for a month so he did not have to go back to his house for summer. I cannot believe that it is our last year already! So much has happened in all our years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, is married to former defense against the dark arts teacher Professor Remus Lupin, whose wedding was an exciting mess of parties with lots of ale involved. I have actually learned to stand, leaning towards almost liking, Draco, since he's been dating Harry for a couple years now. Ginny is going out with Colin Creevey, who is finally over his Harry obsession and has turned "studly" or something. Cho was diagnosed with anorexia and multiple personality disorder, so she left school last year and went to a special school. Then there's Hermione--Gryffindor Prefect, insufferable twit and love of my life all at the same time. 

"Ron! What's this?" My sister screamed from her room.

"What?" I screamed back, turning down the heavy metal I was listening to and going towards her room. Kirbie was chewing on her hair dryer that was the issue of the moment. I was glad to have an awesome, talented familiar who was all my own and not a hand-me-down. I just wish I could control the little monkey. 

"Kirbs, come on, we'll go get some real food," I motioned for him to jump on my shoulder, which he actually obeyed. I suppose he'd had enough of Ginny's room, not that I blame him with the pink frills and boy band posters on the wallgag me, please.

"My room is clean, Mum, could we have some cookies?"

"Why, Ron, I didn't even hear you come in. Sure you can, one each, but then you have to get going to Diagon Alley, don't you?" She reminded me. I glanced at my watch--11: 22. Oops. I had to go to the Granger's, get Hermione, and meet Harry and Draco at the Prancing Pony Inn at Noontime. 

"Yeah, I'll grab some grub to go and get ready now," I replied, kissing her cheek.

"Good plan, dearie," she started to hum, pushed me away and resumed cooking lunch. 

_It's tearing up my heart, when I'm with you, but when we are apart I feel it too, and no matter what I do I feel the pain, with or without you_came from Ginny's room. Ugh, no more of this. "Ginny, shut it off!" 

I gave Kirbie a cookie and an apple and gathered all my stuff for the rest of summer, planning on coming back for my trunk and everything before school. We're staying at the Prancing Pony so that we can have some fun, recap our respective summers, and go back-to-school shopping. 

It's a good thing that the Grangers, though Muggles, are accepting of magic and things because I am going to be late as is and if I did not travel by floo powder, I don't know what I would do. "Hermione Granger's" I said loudly and precisely and threw the powder in the fireplace.

When the smoke cleared I was not quite sure where I was, actually. It was very dark for mid-afternoon, hold on--it is a bedroom I thinkHermione's? Wow, so this is what her room looks likeI thought as I scanned the massive bookshelves, the high ceilings, and the floor-to-ceiling windows (the drapes were drawn, thus the darkness). This house must be really old; it looks like a castle or something like it. 

"Oh my god!" I thought alarmingly, not aware that I was also speaking out loud. 

"Well, who are you then, mate?" A strange guy asked me from Hermione's bed. He was sitting up, at least topless from what I could see (thankfully) and rather sleepy, his features extremely prominent. Hermione was snoring quietly next to him, wearingsome kind ofoutfit. Breathe in, breathe out. In, out. In, out. I just stood there, dumbfounded. 

"Um"

"Cat's got your tongue? I'm Louis, are you another friend of 'Mione's?" He asked me like it was the most normal situation in the world. What was he implying with the 'friend' question? Oh god, this is not happening.

"Um, yeah, we're friendswe go to school together."

"Oh, that snotty private school she's always on about? Heh, don't tell me you are a bookworm like herNah, I bet you play rugby or something, right? No skill involved? So, anyway, what can I do for you?"

"Uh, just tell Hermione that I stopped in and that I will meet her at the Inn instead, ok? She's usually better with timing..." I said to myself, not expecting him to answer.

"That's my fault I suppose. Keeping odd hours myself, I kept her up all night, worshiping her skills, she's a little worn out."  


"Oh." Sorry I asked, I really did not need that visual to add to everything. Thoughts are not forming coherently. This is like, jamming my brain. There's no blood there at all, need oxygen."Tell her I'll meet her there, thanks," I said, leaving. 

"Ta' lad, enjoy your day."

I walked downstairs since I was not sure if this muggle was for or against magic, what with the recent controversy the Ministry of Magic has enough problems to deal with. I opted for the fireplace in the living room instead, traveling to the well-known and very busy fireplace of the Prancing Pony Pub, below the Inn, in Diagon Alley. 

"Ronny boy!" I heard Hagrid before I saw him, with a bit of floo powder in my eye. 

"Hagrid, how are you? Have you seen Harry?" I asked as he greeted me with the usual bear hug that only Hagrid could truly pull off. 

"I just a minute ago saw a very tan Mr. Malfoy, so Harry can't be far behind, them being attached at the hip and all. Where's Hermione? Wasn't she coming with you?" He asked, reminding me of the whole horrid episode earlier. Oh, god.

"Don't know, she said she would be late I think,"

"Hmm. Oh well, I'll have to wait to give her a hug, then. I'm on official Hogwarts business, so I must be going now. Good day, Ron."

"Arthur, can I have a pint, please?" I sat down at the bar and awaited any of my friends to show up. After what seemed like an hour, I was getting restless and cornered Neville and urged him to join me for a chat.

"Sorry Ron, I can only stay a second, I need toI need to do something so I should go and try and figure out what it was that I am supposed to be doing right now," he stammered, eternally lost in being Neville. 

"School shopping?" I prompted.

"Oh yes! Thanks, Ron! See you later!" He left before he could forget again.

All of a sudden Hermione fell out of the fireplace wildly, stumbling and swearing like a smashed dwarf. I went to her and helped her out of the soot, sitting her down in an enclosed booth so she would not feel embarrassed by her appearance or entrance. She was covered in dirt, except her eyes, which were extremely bright blue and crazed-looking in contrast. She blinked at me like she was confused about something. 

"Hermionewhat's up with you?" I started, unsure of how to continue. 

"Ron, I'm a little tipsy right now, I need sleep desperately and I have a migraine. I don't know if I can answer your questions, let alone where to start" she sighed exasperatedly, rubbing her temples and frowning. 

"Who's Louis?"

"Louis? Oh! Um, myboyfriend? I guessit's nothing serious at all, he is not the long-term type. He's a muggle, I guess."

"You guess?"

"It's complicated," she dismissed it with a wave of her hand. " I have a massive hangover right now, so can we postpone this for now? I need to go to my room," her eyelids were heavy and she was swaying slightly when she said this so of course I agreed. 

"Come on, then. Upstairs."

"Huh?" She asked incoherently. I led her to the room I reserved, since I knew she had reserved none for herself when I checked in. Something was definitely wrong with the universe when Hermione would forget something as important as that. 

I unlocked it, basically having to support her entire weight since she was almost passed out by now, and placed her down on the bed, removing her robes. She still had that leather outfit on underneath. The top was very low-cut, ending above her navel, which was pierced, much to my surprise. Just when I thought I'd had enough, she turned over and I realized why leather pants were invented--they did wonders for one's ass, let me tell you! Ok, Weasley, get a hold of yourselfWhoa, this is suffocating me, I need to breathe. Since when do I get panic attacks all the time? I left the room and went to the bar again.

"Just give me the whole bottle of Jack's, please, Artie," I begged and chugged a couple shots within a minute. 

"Drink like that much more and we'll be repeating Spring Break all over again, Weasley" A familiar voice said from behind me. 

"Harry!" I turned and hugged my best friend. "How're you, besides tan and relaxed? Ah, hey Draco, I was wondering where you were at." I greeted as he approached us. 

"Hey, Ron, how's your summer been?" Harry asked me.

"Fine, I guess." I didn't feel the need to share the Hermione problem since I was not done figuring out how I felt about that just yet.

"Ah, Weasley, we need to get you one of those girls that you like," Draco joined in. 

"Speaking of, where's 'Mione?" Harry asked me.

"Um, sleeping still. She was up late last night she said," I said, since it was almost true.

"Studying, I bet," Harry laughed, then stopped when he saw my face. She was not studying a book that's for damn sure, unless it was the Karma Sutra. 

"What's it, Ron? Something happen between the two of you?" Draco asked, sensing my mood, which was now anger.

"She has a boyfriend. Louis the muggle-ish half-naked man," I said quickly, the alcohol starting to get to me. 

"WHAT?" Harry and Draco exclaimed simultaneously.

"Oh, nevermind that, I don't feel like talking about it right now. Artie, another bottle please!" I shouted to the other end of the bar. 

"If you're sure you really don't want to talk about it," Harry said hesitantly, since he was kinda touchy-feely with his emotions, but usually left me alone if I told him to. I nodded.

"Draco and I have some things to take care of, a couple of stores to visit, and we'll meet back here for tea?"

"Sure, Harry, go 'head, I'll go shopping with Hermione when she gets here. See you guys later," I said with a smile, seeing how happy they were together. I downed the rest of my drink and went upstairs to check on Hermione. 

Expecting to find her asleep still, I made sure to be quiet. Of course, she was not there when I opened the door, and continued to look for her in the bathroom and other parts of the room. The only proof that she had been there was the crumpled blankets on the bed. Floo powder? I guessed, deciding on using a spy spell my brother taught me for thieving on the mirror in the main room. 

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Invictus pictorum ripete I said and touched the glass for it to replay happenings earlier. Ah, it was floo powder, I thought as I watched her amble towards the fireplace and mumbled "Louis' club" or at least that's what I thought she had said. Ah, all of a sudden I felt frozen in place. I could hear people coming up the stairs.

"Ron! I expected more of you, you know that magic is not allowed out of school" Professor Lupin said, tsking and smiling simultaneously. He hasn't stopped smiling since the wedding two years ago. 

"Ah, Remy-poo, stuff it. Get a move on, we have dinner plans with McGonagall don't we? He meant no harm, we've done worse in our day!" I heard Sirius say from behind him in the doorway.

"I'm sorry, I just needed to check on things, it was not a frivolous spell, professor. It was only for the safety of a friend of mine," I added, hoping that would make it ok and not get reported before my last year even began.

"Hmm. See, it's all good, ain't it, Ron? Hasta la vista!" Sirius shouted, running down the stairs to the pub.

"Ron, it being your last year and all, I don't want it to start on the wrong foot or anything, so I will let this one drop. You had good intentions, if misguided. In the future, remember to think before you swish. Enjoy the rest of your summer. Goodbye," he said and departed, leaving me to my questions on Hermione. 

What the hell is going on with everyone--is this someone's alternate reality spell gone wrong? It's not funny, they should fix it right now. Whatever, I'm going to go get drunk or something and ignore it for now. When I got down there I saw Seamus and Brioc, his Scottish cousin, sitting in a booth in the corner so I joined them--nothing like a couple of Irishmen to make getting trashed interesting. 

"Cerri is only going out with you because your Irish accent, dude, and she pities the fact that nobody else wants you," Brioc was saying to him. 

"Hey guys, mind if I join you, need to get my mind off some things for a while. Seamus, are you taking advanced Potions this year?" I asked, sitting down.

"Yeah, Snape is going to be murder but it's worth it in the end. Charms I'm horrible at, unlike you Ron, and Brioc here is better than anyone I know at Herbologyha, remember the magic weed we made? Dude, that was some potent stuff, let me tell you! Of course, my Potions partner had to tell McGonagall what we were doing together at night in the lab. What'd up with Hermione this summer, anyway? I kept hearing all these rumors of what she was doing when she went to visit relatives in America" Seamus said absentmindedly in his typical Hufflepuff way. He'd switched houses because Gryffindor hadn't fit him anymore. Um, okay, whatever that means. Hermione? 

"Yeah, what's going on with that brothel thing? Since you guys were friends I figured you could fill me in. Is that true?" Brioc asked excitedly, ignoring my horrified expression. 

"Um, not sure, she has not mentioned anything," I avoided, thinking there was a whole lot she had forgot to mention in her letters over the summer. It's like that Muggle show Da watches all the time, where the husband is like "Lucy, you have some explaining to do!" That's how I'm feeling right now.

"Hey, speak of the devil," Brioc muttered, glancing over my shoulder. I turned and saw Hermione walking towards us, her expression unreadable. Ah, now I realized why she had looked different before--she hadn't had her typical black-framed glasses on and her hair was loose, not like it is usually, up in a neat, tight bun. 

"Ron, can I talk to you?" She asked pleadingly, motioning to another table. 

"Uhokay," I agreed, grabbing my drink and following her. "Let's go upstairs, there's too many people down here," I suggested since it was getting crowded and she nodded. 

"Listen, Hermione" I started when we sat at the table in my room.

"No, let me go first. There's a whole lot that you're probably wondering about, and I'm feeling garrulous after all that liquor so I will tell you" she began, eyes still slightly glazed.

Coming up next: Chap 2-In Which Hermione confesses her sins and Ron gets into a brawl


	2. In Which Hermione Confesses

In which Hermione Confesses Her Sins and Ron Gets Into A Brawl 

(In case you didn't realize this, I don't own HP characters, only Brioc and Cerri. Louis is also not mine, not that I would want him to be, lol)

"Since you're still drunk maybe now is not the time to go blabbing, you need a clear mind," I heard Ron say, shifting uncomfortably in his seat again. Why was he always so nervous around me? It's not like there's any way he could know how I feel about him, Harry promised me he would not tell. 

"No, Ron, let me continue. I'm not sure exactly where to start but the general idea is that I have a completely different life outside of Hogwarts. My life went topsy-turvy when my parents got divorced," I started, noting the slight shock in his gorgeous eyes. "I know, nobody knew about that. When I was home, my mother was so deep in depression that she didn't care what I did, or with whom. My father moved out and got remarried real soon, living his own life. I rebelled, wanting either of them to notice me and care about what was going on with me, or how I was coping with everything. But no one ever heard me, so I got in deeper. At first I would join my mother in drinking and smoking myself nauseous, but after that I thought that if I had more human contact it would help me. That's when I met Louis. Stupidly I confused sex with love and discovered that the guys I slept with acted like they cared for at least a little while,"

"Then my mom spent our entire savings in Las Vegas back in the States. She got drunk, spent it all, and then had no way home. Louis helped me get there to bring her back but I had to pay him back. He offered me a job at the club be owned. I accepted--my mother had nothing and someone needed to keep our house running, not to mention the Hogwarts fees I needed to earn. That plus my dad's child support money and we made it by. Unfortunately, I lost control. I realize that now. Louis' club, Puss In Boots, worked nights as a place to pick up prostitutes. I got caught up in it all, needing the money. The only way I got through it was to shut everything out, not to think about what I was doing or how I felt about it. I became engrossed in my schoolwork to escape it all and needing the distraction. Each summer it would get worse and my customers kept getting more greasy and rude. Now I thought I had enough so I quit. I tried going to Church daily and repenting, I used to go all the time, but they would have nothing to do with me. Louis convinced me that they would never forgive any of us and I shouldn't bother trying to go back to my life of innocence, it would never work. I embraced it then, became his slut again, it being less of an obligation and more of a choice this time around. The people there listened to me, I had a place to belong, or at least I thought I did. They dubbedme Horny Hermione because I brought in the most tips and was the youngest one there. I thought they were my friends. I was badly mistaken" I was unsure if I could go on. Ron put his hand on mine and smiled one those smiles of his and I burst into tears. Ron moved his chair towards mine and eveloped me in his strong, comforting arms. 

"You don't have to continue if you don't want to," he said, handing me some tissues. God, I loved him. 

"It's okay. I have to tell the whole thing. One night, it was a Wednesday so Barry usually requested me. I went to his house and gave him a massage. He offered me a drink and I took it, thinking nothing unusual since he usually offered me one. All of a sudden things got blurry, hazy, like a veil over my senses. I felt a sharp pain to my head and crashed to the floor. When I looked up there were more guys in the room than BarryI woke up the next day in the frezzing cold rain on the front steps of a church near the club. It was so cold but I just couldn't move. My clothes were in shreds and caked with dried blood. I had a sign around my neck that said 'Free Hoe' and my wallet was gone. It hurt so much" I sobbed, phantom pains returning as usual. 

"Oh god, Mione, I'm so sorry," Ron said earnestly, his eyes sincere and comforting. I rested my head on his shoulder and continued. 

"Somehow I got back to Louis who was stark-raving mad when he saw what happened to me. He helped bandage my wounds--they had cut me with a dagger, beat me with a stick, whipped me, abused me to no end. My back is still sensitive from the scars. The part that made it all the more worse was when I found out the some of the dancers I worked with arranged it with the guys, saying I would be an easy and cheap victim. My supposed friends had helped to beat the shit out of me," now I really started to cry uncontrollably. I felt like such a fool for doing this but for some reason it was almost okay that I was crying in front of him, he didn't seem to mind seeing me like this. 

"Hermione, wow. You don't deserve any of this, you're better than that," Ron began but I cut him off. 

"How can you say that after everything I've told you? I'm a whore, I dress like a slut and have sex with total strangers! I asked for it, it was my fault," I objected.

"No, you didn't derserve that or ask for it or anything. And because I know you. I know how helpful, funny, caring, brave you can be," he argued.

"Don't you see? That's the thing, you only know my Hogwarts self, the fake one. The good-girl façade was not me, just a front for my double-life."

"I know that. I've always known you weren't as good as you said you were, nobody, not even you, is that perfect. But that doesn't change the good heart that I know you have, the one I fell for," he said, shocked at what was coming out of his own mouth. 

"What?" I asked, alarmed at what I thought I heard and scared it was all my drunken imagination. 

"I'm sorry, I have to go, I will see you later, ok?" ron said, squeezing my hand once and making a hasty exit. I was in his room but since he left me here I supposed it was okay for me to stay. I was so exhausted from everything. I wanted to sleep forever. Even though I wanted to stay up to think more on what Ron said or didn't say, sleep won out and I dozed on the bed. 

I woke up and was starving for some pub fries so I went downstairs to the Prancing Pony. The place got eerily quiet as I entered, except the corner where there was a fight going on, Ron was yelling at someone. Ignoring the stares of the customers, most of which I knew from school or something, I went to investigate. It was a house elf he was threatening, which added to my confusion. 

"Creevey, you bastard! How dare you talk about her like that, Hermione was your friend!" Ron was yelling at him. Huh? What did I have to do with this?

"We're not that friendly man, I don't go for cheap sluts," Collin yelled back, almost tauntingly to Ron. Ron's fist came out of nowhere and sucker punched Collin onto the table behind him. Collin's friends at that table were suddenly against Ron as well but he held his own surprisingly enough. What did this all have to do with me? I asked myself again. 

I noticed Ron about to be hit with a beer bottle and took out my wand to freeze everyone except Ron, who was being punched by the Ravenclaw beater at the time. Since he could barely walk I helped him to the stairwell upstairs and then went back to the bar to order a platter and two butterbeers for the room. Then I helped him upstairs and sat him down on the bed, checking to make sure he didn't have a concussion or anything. He had a dazed look in his eyes and a goofy smile on his face. I put a band-aid on the scrape on his forehead. His hand covered mine and his other arm pushed me closer to him.

"Aren't you gonna kiss it and make it better?" He asked me huskily, his eyes way too intense for me. I kissed his temple like a mother would and tried to pull away, only to find myself trapped in his arms. "What about this one?" He asked, pointing to the tiny cut on his lip. I made for a quick peck but Ron's mouth devoured mine and I couldn't let go even if he let me. It was like all my cicuits were fried, or I was flying through space but grounded at the same time. As fantastic as it was, I pushed him away. 

"Why were you fighting?" I asked when I could speak.

"They were talking shit about you. I had to fight back, a Creevey elf heard our entire conversation before. Collin was telling everyone," Ron explained, looking pained. 

"Everyoneknows? Oh." I was speechless. Now what?

Chapter 3: In Which Everyone Finds Out About Everything And Somebody Returns

(FYI-the next one will return to a more comic voice, they will switch off---sorry to those who hate the mush!)

And for the slash-lovers, there will be some H-D closest stuff in the next one when they are all playing drinking gameshehe

Oh and more on Sirius and Remus' wedding

Maybe Kirby will make an appearance too.haha


	3. In Which Everyone Finds Out

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In Which Everyone Finds Out About Everything

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I like it when you chain me to the bedI love the way you look at me I love the way you smack my ass, I love the dirty things you do, I have control of youI heard myself singing distractedly, not really paying attention to the words. We had started up an impromptu kareoke contest at the Prancing Pony and everyone was singing and drinking, drinking and singing

"Ay, 'Arry, be a goo' lad an fetch 'nother roun' fer us will ya?" Hagrid asked me so I shakily walked over to the bar. 

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Hermione singing some song I had never heard of before_. I can stand with the weight of the world on my shoulders, I can fight with the toughest of the tough, I can laugh in the face of all my insecurities--anytime, anywhere, anything, I'm strong enough. But when you're holding me like this, I'm carelessly lost in your touch. I'm helplessly, hopelessly, recklessly, falling in love_Her voice isn't half bad, I thought as I carried the drinks over to the corner of the room. We had all gathered here for one last full-blown party before school started up again and we needed to be studious people. Hermione's song was definitely catching Ron's attention, I thought with semi-moist eyes. It's about damn time!

"So, as I was saying, he was so wrong about the whole thing!" Pansy was obviously talking to Lavender but the other girl was not listening. Instead she glared at the bar where Seamus was sitting with Brioc and Dean. Ooh, if looks could kill. 

It turned out that Lavender wanted to sing almost as badly as she wanted to kill Finnagan so she was up on stage before I could even tell what was happening. _You always said that I have multiple personalities-I bounce around somewhere between my dreams and reality. So where'd you dig up the audacity to ask me how we've all been doing since you broke our hearts? Well, so far: number 5 just cries a river a minute, 7 wants to tie you up and drown you in it, yeah 14 wants to say 'so long, bygones', 32 wants to do things to you that'll make you blush, 10 will key the El Camino that you love so much, and there ain't nobody wants to mess with 23. Oh, lucky for you tonight I'm just me_Seamus just chatted on oblivious to everything, so I turned my attention to Sirius who was lost in a funny story that was embarrassing Remus tremendously. Sirius was already more plastered than most of us, well, except maybe Snape but he's got a reason to be drunk after the problems he's had this summer. 

"Hey, baby, you're not drinkin barey anythin. Fraid I'll take advantage of you?" Draco whispered in my ear and then nibbled on it seductively. Yeah, he was drunk too. 

"I was planning on it," I replied with a wink and a kiss, then drained my margarita I had been milking for a good half-hour or so. 

"Harry, careful not to get a brain freeze," Remus warned me. 

"Yes, Mom," I deadpanned, which got a laugh from him. 

I hadn't even noticed Hagrid had gotten up from the table until I heard him singing. _I feel pretty, oh so pretty_No way. I turned and confirmed that it was, in fact, Hagrid singing with a tablecloth around him as a dress. Oh my god, I thought and turned away. I shifted down a seat to where Hermione was sitting since she wasn't talking to anyone at the time. She had been acting different lately and I was not sure what was going on anymore. 

"Hey there, you seem kindaunsettled. Is everything okay?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, everything's fine, Harry. Don't worry about me," she said dismissively as if all was good and I wasn't convinced for a second. 

"Stop the bull, what is it? You wanna go somewhere more private? I can tell you're thinking heavily on something."

"I'm that transparent?"

"Only to me, don't fret. So are you going to tell me?"

"It's Ron."

"You love him--yes, you do. And he feels the same. Why don't you guys get together already?" My patience was waning greatly, I had to get them together already, it was pathetic. 

"It's not that simple. And don't say he feels the same, I'm like a sister to him," she protested half-heartedly, trying to hide a deeper sadness, then added, "We've talked and there is just too much skeletons in my closet for him, for anybody. That's okay by me, really it is. Anyway, I honestly believe that he wants to snog Lavender. He's spent a majority of the night tucked in a booth with her. I'm going to get another drink, you want one?"

"Sure, why not? Listen, something's up. I think he and I need to have a little chat. Be right back," I said and went over to the table where Ron was sitting at, cozy with Lavender in the booth. I would have believed the same thing as Hermione (and did for a second) except for their faces, both laden with tearful expressions. 

"Is your point of the night to cause another's pain? Or to just forget about your SOUL MATE?!?" I asked him without preamble, more acid in the words than I had intended. 

"What are you on about, Harry?"  
"Hermione, you git! What kind of impression do you think you are making, being in here with Lavender the whole time? No, offense, Lav," I added hastily and she nodded indifferently. 

"Oh, shite. What should I do, Harry? I can't lose her, we've gotten closer in the past couple daysoh no, this is bad, really badoh no"

"Ron, this is no time to panic," I assured him, then turned around as I heard someone singing again--Hermione? She had a bottle of Jack's in her hand and was swaying. _Tonight for the first time, just about a half past ten, for the first time in history, it's gonna start raining men-hallelujah! It's raining men! I'm gonna go out, let myself get absolutely soaking wet!_ At this point she started groping whichever guy was closest and started wandering around the pub. 

"Can we panic now, Harry?" Ron asked, to which I had no response. 

"Go get her, Ron, before she ends up doing something she regrets later," Lavender interrupted, sounding like she knew something about that. HmmmNo. Now's not the time.

Oliver started to sing as Ron helped Hermione (she had fallen over a table she'd been trying to dance on). He was now their Quidditch Coach since he had graduated years back, with a time in between where he had tried introducing the sport to some open-minded Muggles in the States mostly (and failed dramatically). He was standing on a chair and almost bellowing across the room. _Know all about, about your reputation, but I can't help it if I'm helpless every time I'm where you are. Say my name and I can't fight it anymore, oh I know I should go but I need your touch just too DAMN much. _Whoa. Wonder where all that passion has been hidden, he's always seemed the aloof kind. 

"Harry! Darling! Come here this second!" Draco called me over to him. 

"What?"

"Follow me, cowboy," he said mysteriously and dragged me along behind him. I could tell he was already passed his reasonable drinking point, even for someone who knew how to handle his liquor. I was shoved into a closet and then Draco pounced. I thought ever-so-briefly of protesting but all was forgotten when Draco's hands started caressing my chest and back. I tried to unbutton his shirt but ended up ripping most of it when I got too frustrated. We exchanged sloppy, drunken kisses that barely held any of their usual potency. The loud knock on the door startled me from my semi-conscious state. 

"Helllloooo?" Seamus called from the outside. Damn him. He couldn't just wait a little bit longer "Why won't this damn thing open?" He tried opening the door again, to no avail. 

I hurriedly tried to readjust my clothing as my love did the same. "Dammit all, where the hell is my shirt?" I asked nobody in particular. I located it and tugged it on, switching the lock on the door (assuming Draco was fully clothed by then).

"Whoa! What're you guys doing comin' out of the closet?" Seamus asked, voice laden with alcohol. 

"Um, we were just"

"Yeah, ok, my turn." Draco was shoved out of the doorframe and the door was closed. I hadn't even noticed who went in with him, I realized absently. I grabbed for Draco's hand and turned to see he was shirtless. 

"What happened to your clothes?"

"You ripped my shirt open, member?"

"Heh, oh yeah, so sorry," I apologized, both of us knowing it was a lie. 

"Just as sorry as I'm about almost impaling you with the doorknob when we were snoggingHehe, we should probably"

"Get back to the others now?"

"Sure, I guess"

"In a minute," I said as I massaged his palm with my fingers. 

"Draco! Harry!" Hermione interrupted us mid-kiss.

"Uh, Mione, what the bloody hell do you want now?" Draco asked her, not untangling himself from me at all. 

"You guys should see this, Fred and George have been doing kareoke for like three songs already--you just missed "I've got you babe" and "Night Fever"come see!" I glanced at Draco--he didn't want to go either, I knew. But we went anyway, our own pleasures having to wait. 

_I'm the big attraction, you're the small. Anyone you can lick, I can lick faster. I can drink liquor faster than a flicker. No, you can't. Yes, I can. No, you can't. Yes, I can_. Nobody in the audience cared that they were messing the lyrics up. Then again, I would bet that not a lot of them knew as many Muggle musicals as I do anyway. Finally the infamous Weasley twins fell over (whether drunk or exhausted I don't know) and I awaited the next person--anyone has to be better than them. Boy was I wrong.

_I am a man of constant sorrow, I've seen trouble all my days, no pleasure hell on Earth I've found. For, in this world, I'm born to ramble, I have no friends to help me now_Collin only started singing but people already took the mic away from him and passed it on to someone else. Blaise took it and cleared his throat. I could not remember a time I had head the guy sing, barely even heard him talk before. _We were, wanna-be rebels who didn't have a clue, with our rock 'n roll t-shirts and our typically bad attitudes. Had no excuses for the things that we've done: we were brave, we were crazy, we were mostly young_Huh. Blaise's voice was deeper than I expected but it was definitely better than the twins or Collin. I followed my beloved back to our corner tables and sat in his lap when he chose a solitary seat instead of a booth. 

"Hey, hey, none of that now," Brioc muttered jokingly so I sat in his lap too. He shoved me off and I landed in an empty chair. Ron was sitting next to me, protectively cupping his beer and staring into oblivion. I noticed Hermione's absence then and decided to be more helpful in playing cupid than I had been in the past. 

"I see the look in your eyes, Harry, and it scares me. No more matchmaking. Leave well enough alone, what's not meant to be cannot be cured by just you," Ron said exasperatingly when I had clapped my hands together decisively. 

"I've had enough of the miserable people in my life--y'all need to get happy right quick. And I'll be there to help."

"Whatever, fine, don't listen to a word I say. The problem is not with your matchmaking skills, they're superb, as many a couple would know. But Hermione and I, wewe're just two totally different people who don't fit together. Just forget about it, it's not like I really like her or anything," Ron tried, anguish in his every word. I figured helping Hermione out should be the first step in fixing their relationship. I found her sitting at the bar with three empty Guiness next to her and a full one in her hand. 

"Mione? Listen, Ron really likes you," I started, unsettled by her appearance. I had expected crying but found her staring blankly into nothingness and it was all the more heartbreaking. 

"Just not that way, right? Hey, it's okay. I wasn't expecting anything, I'd stopped hoping a long time ago. It was justhe's been so nice lately and I had thought things would be different for some reason, forget it," she replied sadly. Hell, Ron and her were not two different people, they were so alike they even thought the same way!

"Now, listen to me Hermione Granger. Ron is one of my best friends and he loves you, so much you better just get up off your lazy arse and go prove to him how you feel! I'm sick and tired of the two of you both being stupid and miserable idiots when you could be together and happy!" I snapped, the alcohol wearing off slightly. I chugged the rest of Hermione's Guiness and ordered a bottle of Tequilla for the table. 

_Aim too sexy fer my kilt, too sexy fer my kilt, so sexy it hurts_I heard as I walked over to the corner and saw Brioc giving Dean a lap dance. I slid in next to Draco and showed him the bottle--Jose Cuervo was a favorite of ours. 

"Where you been all my life," he almost purred and slid a leg over mine. You could tell he was totally drunk off his ass when he got really horny. This was worse than Spring Break last year. Or, oh god, Sirius and Remus' Wedding. Hahanot much else can get worse than that. 

It was the event of the year, as any Maurader's Wedding should be. While the 'usual suspects' were busy licking frosting off each other's fingers, I decided that we should liven things up a bit. The twins' joke shop also carried Muggle supplies so I had them order some Viagra. George had said it was sure to cause fun at every party. I didn't know exactly what it was for, I just took his word for it--maybe it was some sort of drug, like LSD or something. Boy, did things turn out interesting when everyone got a large dose of it in their punch. Not to mention the alcohol Sirius had for the open bar. All in all, it had been the most interesting (and most frisky) wedding reception I had ever been to. And I'd been to a fair share. The good balance was the ceremony before the party--the actual wedding. Remus, being Remus, decided that they should write their own vows, from the heart (that's why Sirius was bothering me at 2 AM the night before the wedding for ideas, always fretting over not being able to live up to Remus' talent for words). They were so absolutely beautiful and touching, when they were reading them they were both in tears, all the guests were getting teary-eyed, and I was sobbing. They were the only family I have, truly, and it was just so heartfelt, I wished to god that I would be able to get married one day to someone I loved as much as they love each other. 

With that thought, I looked over at Draco, who was singing and swaying in his seat. _Round five or round six, I forgot what I came to forget; after round seven, or was it eight? I bought a round for the whole damn place, after nine rounds with Jose Cuervo they were counting me out and I was about to give in and after ten rounds with Jose CuervoI lost track and started counting again!_

"Hey, Drac, let's play a game or somethin," I suggested to him. 

"Ooh, ya! I go get some peoples," he drawled and left quickly towards the bar. 

_Black, white, green, red; can I take my friend to bed? Pink, brown, yellow, orange, and blue; I love you_Ron was singing loudly and causing some stares from customers not involved in our celebration, so I grabbed his shirt and yanked him down into a chair.

"What're you on?" I yelled at him.

"Haaaaarrrrrryymate, I loooooove you!" Ron shouted, hugging me. I brought him to the bar and put him on a stool.

"Artie, take care of him, please?" When he nodded, I left. As soon as I came back around the corner, I wish I hadn't. 

_Find out how hard I gotta work ya, let's get drunk it'll bring us closer, you won't find a bitch that's even better--I'll make you hot as Las Vegas weather. I'm not a prostitute but I can give ya what ya want_Ginny sang, dancing around and grinding with people. Hermione grabbed her and escorted her to the bathroom before she could humiliate herself even more. 

_ I'll be here in sunshine or in shadowwww, Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I lovoooe you so. And if you come, when all the flowers are dyingggg. And I am dead, as dead I well may beeee. And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread abooove me. And all my dreams will warm and sweeeeeter be. If you'll not fail to tell me that you loooove meeee. I'll simply sleep in peace until you come with meeeeee_Seamus sang, dancing on top of the bar despite Arthur's protests. Silly Irish people, I thought as I ordered another round for everyone. I was starting to get seriously tipsy and my attention was kind of fading in and out, but so was everyone else so that's okay. 

_What, am I not supposed to have an opinion? Should I keep quiet just because I'm a woman? Call me a bitch cause I speak what's on my mind, guess it's easier for you to swallow if I sat and smiled; You must talk so big, to make up for smaller things_Pansy sang, surprising everyone with the ferocity and talent in her voice. Draco took over, looking at me suggestively. Oh, god, this should be interesting_Whatta man, whatta man, whatta mighty good manlick him like a lolipop should be licked; can I get some fries with that shake-shake booty, if looks could kill you would be an uzi or a shot-gun BANG, what's up with that thing--I wanna know, how does it hang? Straight up, wait up, hold up, mista lova_Hermione stopped him from continuing when she took the mic yet again. Maybe she was taking my advice with the Ron situation, I thought when I heard the song she was singing. 

_I often tell myself that we could be, more than just friends. I know you think that if we move too soon, it would all end. I live in misery when you're not around, and I won't be satisfied till we're taking those vows. What's it gonna be? Cause I can't pretend. Don't you wanna be, more than friends? Hold me tight and don't let go, you have the right to lose control. There'll be some love-makin, heart-breakin, soul-shakin, loooveRunning in and out my life, has got me so confused, you gotta make the sacrifice, somebody's gotta chose, we can make it if we try, for the sake of you and I, together we can make it right_By the way Ron was looking at her I had a feeling that they'd figure it out for themselves now that I pushed them in the right direction. 

"Harry, let's go in the back and play some cards or something," Draco said to me, pulling me in for another sloppy tequilla-flavored kiss. 

"Okay, let's round some people up and get a game going."

It ended up being Draco, Ron, Hermione, Seamus, Oliver, Brioc, Ginny, Lavender, and I in the back room (with more to come later). We decided on a truth or dare type game, mixed with 20-questions so it was only the 'truth' half of the game. The last thing we heard before closing the door was Dobby singing on stage--Oh. My. God. _All you people look at me like I'm a little girl. Well did you ever think it be okay for me to step into this world. I'm a slave for you. I won't deny it; I'm not trying to hide it!_ Nobody noticed the twins' slipping in a veritaserum into the drinks of those in back. Mixing magic with alcohol usually resulted in some pretty interesting things, which they found out later.

"Ron, hmmm.I had heard"Draco was asking first. "Is it true that you absolutely love disco music?"

"This is all Neville's faultIt's not that big a deal!" He protested Seamus and Brioc's comments.

"Ok, Brioc, are yougay or straight?"

" I was only pretending to be gay," Brioc answered with a smile, surprised at the lack of control over his response. 

"WHAT?" Seamus exclaimed angrily.

"So, Ginny, are you a virgin or not?" Brioc asked, re-focusing the attention off him, picking her to cause a reaction, as per usual with him. 

"Not," she admitted quietly.

"What? Are you serious?" Ron screamed. "Collin"

"NO! NO! Don't do anything, Ron," she begged and Hermione restrained Ron enough.

"It wasn't Collin, don't kill him, please!"

"Hey, let's forget about it everyone, ok?" Seamus asked, causing Hermione and me to glance over at him because of his outburst. 

"Anyway, Lavender, is it true you slept with Seamus over Spring Break?" Ginny asked, vengeance in her eyes.

"Yeah, he said he loved me, didn't you, Seamus?" Resentful anger dripped from her words.

"Wait, Wait, Wait, hold it--everyone raise your hand if you slept with Seamus" Brioc asked, the first to raise his hand. 

A bunch of other hands went up hesitantly--Lavender, Oliver, Ginny, Hermione, andDraco?

"Why are you raising your hand?" Ron and I asked at the same time (though to obviously, different people), his angry and mine shocked.

"Wha? Oh, what're we raising our hands for again? Isn't this a vote for more tequilla?" Draco asked, completely oblivious to the world as usual. I kissed him hard on the mouth, laughing at my lover yet again. 

"What was that for?" Draco asked me. 

"Oh, I was just reminded why it was I loved you so much."

"Oh, okay, that's nice."  
I looked over the table to where Ron was screaming--he was a very angry drunk, his temper was bad enough when he is sober.

"You slept with the Irish Whore too? Jesus, Mary, Joseph!"

"Ron, calm down, it was a little while agoI was going through a rough patchIt meant nothing. And that's beside the point! I'm not your girlfriend and you do not have the right to yell at me for what's my business!" Hermione stormed out of the room, slamming the door open.

The kareoke was still going on out in the main room and with the door open we could hear the music again. _I heard you' re doing okay but I don't want to know, I'm a dickI'm addicted to you._ Percy sang, voice cracking towards the end, followed by a hiccup. He is so drunkEveryone is, actually. Haha. 

"Hey, will you get me a drink? Please?" Draco asked, leaning onto my shoulder with a yawn. He often reminded me of a feline in the way he acted, right now looking like a kitten, begging for a treat. 

"Yeah, okay," I replied. Everyone else wanted another round too so I ordered a case of malts and was waiting for them to come when Madame Hooch started to sing. _Pour me, pour me, another shot of whiskey, bartender hit me one more time. He left, I cried, I'm lost inside, won't you help me? Fill it to the top cause I hit rock bottom this time_I grabbed the case and brought it back to the room.

"Yay! Harry! Hurry up and bring the drinks over! We're still playing, Olly is tellin us some affair he had with a married American woman--it's great!" Draco shouted jovially.

"Hermioneare you really a prostitute?" Brioc asked in a joking way. 

She sobbed, upset beyond belief. Oh, no, I thought, wondering how many rumors have gone round tonight. She ran out of the room and the silence was broken as Charlie was heard from the other room._ I said hey little girl you sure look nice. Do you wanna ride? I won't bite, she climbs inside and says Hell no, I want to drive!' Forget pink and purple paisleys. Little mellow-yellow daisies. Ain't no pot of gold in her rainbow. Her favorite color is, chrome_

"Ron, go after her!" I whispered to him, he was staring into his beer again (as if it held all the answers of the Universe). "She doesn't want to see me, she thinks I told everyone"

"Shut up. I'm fuckin fed up with the two of you lovin each other and not being with each other! Now get your sorry arse up those stairs and fuckin apologize for everything and explain and make her feel better and tell her how you FEEL, god dammit!" Whoa, where did that come from? I didn't usually yell at Ron that much.

"Ok, ok. I'm going. Jesus, Harry, calm down," he said as he exited swiftly.

Everyone else was still talking and being merry that they didn't notice that Draco was paling at Brioc's question. "So is it true that your Daddy beat you as a kid? Yeah, he took EVERYTHING from you, didn't he, Dracy?" Brioc almost teased Draco. Where the hell did that come from? Brioc seemed to know JUST the right questions to ask to cause the MOST problems. 

" Fermé vous le garçon stupide, se cassent et mangent la saleté!" Draco said slowly, almost hyperventilating then he apparated elsewhere. Oh great, now I'll have to guess where he went--he couldn't of just run out or something like a normal person, he could be anywhere!

"You guys just don't know when to stop, do you?" I screamed angrily, leaving the room disgusted at their behavior. Lavender was talking to Ginny in the corner of the room so she hadn't noticed anything about the game anyway. The twins, Brioc, and Seamus all opened another round of beers each before I even got out of the room.

"Don't worry, Harry, Draco will be okay. Come on, let's get some food," Charlie said, who had seen everything and put an arm around my shoulder, leading me towards a booth. 

_You might've heard I run with a dangerous crowd, we ain't too pretty, we ain't too proud, we might be laughing a bit too loud, but that never hurt no one, I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints, the sinners have much more fun, only the good die young_Severus was singing from the stage. Funny how my feelings towards my Potions teacher have changed since my first years attending Hogwarts. Most of it was because of being involved with Draco, and also because of our somewhat shared past, him being friends with Remus.

Things got really loud all of a sudden and Professor McGonagall started dancing and singing. _Everybody's doing a brand new dance now, come on baby, do the Locomotion_She started a conga line which a lot of people were joining in on. I'm not seeing thislittle did I know things would only get worse. 

_I may be a real bad boy, but baby I'm a real good man. I may drink too much and play too loud, might hang out with a rough and rowdy crowd, might have a reckless streak at least a country mile wide, if you're gonna run with me it's gonna be a wild ride. When it comes to lovin you, I've got velvet hands_Sirius sang, looking at Remus towards the end. 

Bill got the mic next and started to sing. _Good gracious, ass is bodacious! Flirtacious, trying to show patience; get up on the dance floor and give that man what he askin for--cause I feel like bustin loose and I feel like touchin you! It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes!_

"Never thought my brother would be involved with Snape--but they're good for each other. I have a feeling Mum's gonna have a lot of weddings on her hands pretty soon--Severus and Bill are already scheduled for next fall; Nessa and I may be sometime soon--not to mention Ron and Hermione if they ever get their act together, and Draco and you of course. Geez, hopefully we don't have a bunch of repeat's of Sirius and Remus' wedding because I don' think my system could handle that much alcohol on that many occassions," Charlie joked, eating some fish and chips. 

_Love is like a bomb, baby, c'mon get it on. Livin' like a lover with a radar phone. Lookin' like a tramp, like a video vamp. Sometime, anytime, sugar me sweet. Little mr innocent sugar me, yeah. C'mon, take a bottle, shake it up. Break the bubble, break it up. Pour some sugar on me. Ooh, in the name of love. Pour some sugar on me. C'mon fire me up. Pour your sugar on me. Oh, I can't get enough. You gotta squeeze a little, squeeze a little. Tease a little more. Easy operator come a knockin' on my door. Sometime, anytime, sugar me sweet. Little Mr. innocent sugar me, yeah_Remus sang, surprising everyone, including Sirius, who the song was directed to. 

Hermione, Draco, Ron, and the twins were all missing by the end of the night, almost everyone else passed out in rooms upstairs. I sat at the bar, which was practically empty now, drinking some butterbeer and eating a sandwich. 

All of a sudden the wind outside blew fiercely, causing the shutters to flap wildly and weird howls to come from the cracks of the door. 

::_Say goodbye HarryYou cannot escape me this time!:: _I bolted upright, not even realizing I was resting my head on the bar. Where had that voice come from? All of a sudden something hit me from behind and I blacked out, not remembering anything after that. 


End file.
